Match-ups
I've gone through and done a bunch of the analysis on the potential match-ups in this series and who seems to have the edge at each position.
Here's a look at the starting 5:
POINT GUARD
Derek Fisher vs. Rajon Rondo
Rondo is really growing into his role and seems to have a bright future ahead of him. In the playoffs, he's averaged 10.5 points and 6.6 assists. But he's struggled with his shot at times, particularly from behind the 3-point arc, where he's made just 29 percent of his shots. In the final three games of the conference finals, he made just 10 of 35 shots from the field. Look for Fisher, the cagey veteran who has done enough against the elite point guard in the Western Conference to keep the Lakers in it, to focus on stopping Rondo's penetration and force him to shoot from the outside.
Advantage: Lakers
SHOOTING GUARD
Kobe Bryant vs. Ray Allen
This should be one of the most entertaining head-to-head match-ups of the series. Flat out, these guys don't like each other. Allen is the kind of shooter who can get hot quickly and affect a game. But he doesn't penetrate much, so Bryant will be able to play up close to him. Allen is known more for his shooting, than his defense, but is by no means a poor defender. Look for him to check Bryant as long as he can and try to funnel him inside, where Kevin Garnett can slide over and help. That's a good plan, but Bryant has been shredding just about every team's best-laid plans this season, and especially so during the playoffs.
Advantage: Lakers
SMALL FORWARD
Vladimir Radmanovic vs. Paul Pierce
This is the match-up the one the Celtics hope to exploit the most. Pierce has always done well against the Lakers, the team he grew up rooting for. In 16 career games against Lakers, Pierce has averaged 27.9 points a game. Earlier this year he scored 33 in the Celtics win in Los Angeles. But Radmanovic is a better defender than people give him credit for. If he can stay in front of Pierce, and force him to settle for jumpers, the Lakers will be in good shape. Offensively, Radmanovic really seems to be rounding into form, shooting 46 percent in the playoffs and 63.6 percent against San Antonio.
Advantage: Celtics
POWER FORWARD
Lamar Odom vs. Kevin Garnett
Garnett has waited for this his whole life and seems intensely focused right now. The question is, is he too focused? If he starts pushing too hard and forcing shots, it'll hurt the Celtics at both ends of the court. In the playoffs, Garnett is shooting a fantastic 51.7 percent, but is only averaging 4.6 free throw attempts per game. Odom has been brilliant at times during the playoffs, but disappears at times. Still, he's averaged a double-double during the playoffs, and looks great when he's aggressive and driving to the basket. Look for Odom to start on Kendrick Perkins and Pau Gasol to start on Garnett. But there will be a fair amount of interchange.
Advantage: Celtics
CENTER
Pau Gasol vs. Kendrick Perkins
Perkins has stepped up and played big games at very important times for the Celtics and really seems to be rounding into a promising young center. Still, he's not much of a threat to score on a consistent basis, so whoever is defending him will be able to slide over and double-team Garnett. If Perkins defends Gasol, the Lakers center will have a distinct quickness advantage. He should also be able to draw Perkins away from the basket and force him to defend his midrange jumper. That's important because Perkins leads the Celtics in blocked shots (1.4 per game) during the playoffs.
Advantage: Lakers
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